Pop’s heartfelt words to ailing Sager: ‘I promise I’ll be nice’

In a statement issued Friday, the elder Sager revealed that a battle with leukemia would sideline him from this year’s playoffs:

Coach Pop is known as a man of few words, and he’s notoriously curt and cantankerous with the media. But in this rare and genuine moment, it’s clear how Pop feels about the ailing Sager, a longtime fixture of the game and one of basketball’s most iconic journalists.

In the video below, Popovich takes a break from the interview and directly addresses the camera: